It is home to 31 research groups with scientists from more than 40 nations who investigate how molecules and cells create life.

[8][9][10] In 1971, at the time when the Biozentrum was founded, the concept of developing an interdisciplinary biological research facility was unique in Europe.

In the same year, one of the founding professors, Werner Arber, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine[13] for his discovery of the restriction enzymes.

[14][15] With the incorporation of the Maurice E. Müller Institute[16][17] in 1986, the Biozentrum became a competence center for high resolution electron microscopy.

Building up a range of Technology Core Facilities which offer highly sophisticated methods of investigation and analysis was also a priority during the last decade.

[30] Modern research increasingly depends on sophisticated technologies, notably in the fields of genomics, proteomics, imaging, and data analysis.

The third year of study has also a practical orientation: in three six-week block courses the students actively engage in research and they work on and write an eight-week theses in Molecular Biology.

One six-week block course with theoretical and experimental content as well as two research projects are part of the program of the third academic year.

The PhD program builds on a university degree in biology or related discipline and requires the student to engage in an independent research project within a period of three to four years.

The students also receive practical training in the latest methods and techniques of molecular biology research and attend courses of the Graduate Teaching Program.